South Bay Bicycle Coalition's regional plan gaining momentum

In the months since the South Bay Bicycle Coalition was formed, the growing group has gone from obscurity to convincing seven local cities to sign on to its vision of a regional bike plan.

The coalition - now up to more than 150 members since its first meeting in November - has completed its bid for $250,000 in federal stimulus funding to pay for a study of a bike-safe streets network in the South Bay.

"I'm pretty pumped by what we've been able to accomplish," said coalition Chairman Todd Dipaola. "There's definitely been a political awakening in this area over the past couple of months."

On Wednesday, the group will hold its third meeting at the Joslyn Center in Manhattan Beach.

That city - along with El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Torrance, Lawndale and Gardena - agreed to support the coalition's bid for funding. Redondo Beach signed on to be the lead city on the application.

The group will find out in late February if it wins the money, which will be funneled through a Los Angeles County public health grant.

The coalition's success at convincing local governments to support their effort has been a result of a grass-roots effort, said Dipaola, who's considering opening a bike rental business geared at beach-cities tourists.

"Just a couple months ago when we talked to those cities, they said, `No, no, no,"' Dipaola said. "It was all about organizing residents for an issue they felt passionate about but they had never really had a vehicle for. It shows that there's some real pent-up desire for the work that we're doing."

At the meeting Wednesday, coalition members will get a chance to take a look at the South Bay's newest bike lane, which opened in recent days on a portion of Valley Drive in Manhattan Beach.

The bike lane, part of federal stimulus-funded repaving program, came a few years after the city put the implementation of its bicycle plan on the "back burner," Councilman Wayne Powell said. That was due in part to financial constraints, he said.

Powell said he supported the regional effort and sees support for the plan growing.

"It's not exactly the same thing as having our own citywide plan, but at least it would get us a long way to getting there," Powell said.

Dipaola lauded the 1.3-mile Manhattan Beach lane but said it pointed to the need for a regional network that would provide safe routes for commuters and recreational riders across the South Bay.

"It's a great first step," Dipaola said. "The question is: When a cyclist gets to the end of that bike lane, where do they go?"